Hijinx Unity Festival to Migrate North This Summer

Today Hijinx announces that Unity Festival, its five-day international inclusive arts event, will take place for the first time in Caernarfon, North Wales, from 28 June - 2 July 2017.

Spectacular circus, theatre, dance and music acts will fill Caernarfon Castle, Victoria Dock, the Town Square and Galeri Arts Centre for this year's Hijinx Unity Festival, which celebrates the best inclusive and disability arts from around the world.

Caernarfon will have a truly international feel this summer as performers arrive from France, Germany, Spain, Belgium and Ethiopia, as well as from across the UK and Wales.

All of the companies performing at Hijinx Unity Festival include artists who have physical or learning disabilities. The Festival was created by Welsh theatre company, Hijinx, to give a high profile platform to stunning work made by disabled and non-disabled artists working together as equals.

Full programme details will be unveiled at a special launch event in Caernarfon this May, however highlights of the Festival will include: a weekend of free performances around the town centre ideal for families; a Schools' Day for 500 local pupils, a Community Dance Gala and jaw-dropping flamenco and physical theatre acts at Galeri.

14 learning disabled actors from Hijinx's performance training academy based at Prestatyn will be at the centre of a number of performances, produced by Hijinx in collaboration with other Welsh and UK-based companies.

Ben Pettitt-Wade, Hijinx's Artistic Director, commented: "We are thrilled to be taking the Festival to Caernarfon this summer. The overwhelmingly positive reaction of the public, local community groups and schools to the Festival over the past nine years in Cardiff has been an inspiration and a catalyst for moving it north. We can't wait to introduce the work of outstanding disabled performers to audiences in North Wales, and above all, provoke thought and discussion about the ability and potential of people who live with a disability."

PARTNER VENUE

The award winning creative enterprise centre, Galeri in Caernarfon is the official venue partner of the Festival.

Mari Emlyn, Artistic Director at Galeri, commented: "Galeri is delighted to be welcoming Unity Festival, one of Europe's largest inclusive festivals, and the only one of its kind in Wales - to Caernarfon! What a great opportunity to promote positive images of disabilities whilst encouraging inclusivity within the arts, bringing international innovative artistic events to Galeri and the streets of Caernarfon!"

SCHOOLS' DAY

The hugely popular Schools' Day returns to Hijinx Unity Festival this year on Friday 30 June. 500 pupils from Key Stages 2 and 3 will have the chance to enjoy a packed day of inclusive theatre and dance within Caernarfon Castle. If you are interested in bringing a school group, please contact Jon Dafydd-Kidd on jon.kidd@hijinx.org.uk for further information.

ABOUT HIJINX UNITY FESTIVAL

Through a high quality programme of performing arts, the Festival promotes positive images of disability and social inclusion to audiences. Since its creation in Cardiff in 2008, it has grown to attract over 20,000 visitors a time from across Wales, the UK and Europe.

For future updates on Hijinx Unity Festival 2017 programme, visit the event website at hijinxunity.org.uk, follow @HijinxTheatre on Twitter or on www.facebook.com/hijinxtheatre.

Hijinx Unity Festival is an international arts festival celebrating the best inclusive and disability arts from the UK, Europe and around the world. It was created in 2008 by Welsh theatre company Hijinx.

Hijinx Founded in 1981 by Gaynor Lougher and Richard Berry, Hijinx are an inclusive theatre company based in Cardiff who also train actors with learning disabilities across Wales. The company's mission is to produce, pioneer and promote stunning inclusive performance locally, nationally and internationally.

Hijinx Academies are vocational training courses in performance skills for talented actors with learning disabilities. Hijinx run five Academies: two in Cardiff, one in Carmarthen, one in Prestatyn and one in Aberystwyth.

Galeri, Caernarfon is a creative enterprise centre located on Victoria Dock, Caernarfon. The venue comprises of a 394 seat theatre/cinema, work units for companies working within the creative industries, art space, café bar, rehearsal studios and meeting rooms.

The centre is run and managed by Galeri Caernarfon Cyf (formerly known as Cwmni Tref Caernarfon) a social enterprise set-up in 1992 to improve the image of Caernarfon. The company began its mission by purchasing derelict buildings (shops / offices / housing) within the walled towns. To date, over 20 previously vacant and run-down properties have been purchased, refurbished and are now let to local companies and individuals.

Since 2000, the company has been running a successful Arts Project called Sbarc Galeri. The project provides a range of classes in performance (drama) and rock school for children and young people during term time - where the members will be working towards performances at Galeri. There are also taster sessions, workshops and intensive projects throughout the year in a variety of art forms from rock music, dance, photography and writing.

The opening of Galeri in 2005 has been the largest and most ambitious development to date. The opening of the £7.5m centre marked a significant development for the arts and creative industries in North Wales. In 2017, work will begin on a new 2 screen cinema extension on site (to open in 2018).

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